Nylah chuckled. “You thought I was going to miss my brother’shousewarming.”
Cody had told her. Of course she’d come.
Lock was the last to pull his sister into a hug. “It’s good to see you, sis.”
“It’s good to see you finally home,” she whispered. When she pulled back, she looked at him closely. So closely he almost wanted to step back. “You doing okay?”
Was it as obvious to her as it was to everyone else that he wasn’t? “I’m getting there.”
Her brows flickered before Cody and Kayden joined the group, welcoming their sister home.
Liam, Nylah’s partner, stepped forward, clasping Lock’s hand. “It’s good to finally meet you in person.”
Lock dipped his head. “You too.”
He hadn’t met Liam yet, but he’d heard enough about him and they’d spoken a dozen times. He was a former special forces soldier who now co-owned a security company called Blue Halo in Cradle Mountain, Idaho.
Everyone was talking loudly as Cody came to stand beside him. “We’re all here.”
“It feels good,” Lock said before lowering his voice. “Although I didn’t know you wanted to propose in front of all of Misty Peak.”
Cody cringed. “I didn’t. Harper invited everyone because for all she knew, it was a housewarming party and she wanted to ‘fill the space,’ as she said.”
“Nervous?”
“Nope. I probably should be, but it feels right. Overdue even, like I should have asked her the second she walked into my bar.”
Lock was happy for his brother. But he also felt something else. Something a hell of a lot less comfortable—a deep longing to have the woman he loved love him back.
“Probably good you waited,” he said, forcing his words to come out relaxed, when relaxed was the last thing he felt. “She might have freaked out otherwise.”
“You’re right about that.” Cody cleared his throat. “So…did Callie tell you she’s coming tonight?”
Lock’s gut knotted. “What?”
“Yeah, Harper invited her. She does Pilates at Callie’s studio. I assume she’ll be here soon.”
Cody had barely finished the sentence when the front door opened, and Aspen and Callie walked in.
Dozens of people stood between them, but she was all he saw. Her long, dark locks. Her green eyes. The jeans that pulled tightly against her thighs, paired with the pale green top that matched her eyes.
Jesus Christ, he got lost in her every time he saw her.
Someone bumped his shoulder, and he looked down to see Nylah staring at him, a knowing smile on her face.
“I see Callie’s here.”
Unlike his brothers, who’d been away in the military while he’d dated Callie, Nylah had been here, in Misty Peak. She’d been right there with him that terrible week he’d broken up with her.
“Yeah.” He couldn’t manage many more words than that.
“I figured you’d come back for her at some point.”
Callie’s eyes cut across the room, landing on him, and he felt that gaze like a beam of electricity bolting into him.
There was a small widening of her eyes. A lift of her chest. And the smallest smile before Aspen grabbed her arm and guided her toward the drinks.
Nylah was right. Hehadcome back for her. He just had to hope he hadn’t waited too long.
